An Unwanted Visitor
by ljkeek
Summary: Someone from Jamie's past shows up at the 2-9 to cause some trouble. Set somewhere during season 9.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

The stunning dark haired woman strode purposefully into the main lobby of the 29th precinct and approached the main desk. She was dressed for Wall Street and her heels clicked loudly on the stone floor. The majority of people who came up to the main desk were local residents. The only time someone in a fancy suit came in, was to complain about a ticket or some other infraction they felt they should not be held accountable for.

"Officer Jameson Reagan" she requested with authority.

The young officer on desk duty instantly decided his day couldn't get any worse. He was hesitant to question the identity of anyone asking to see his sergeant, especially since that sergeant shared a name with the police commissioner. He feared his name was already on the PC's radar after getting put on the desk due to a small street altercation that he chose not to break up with enough speed to satisfy his superiors.

"I'll have him paged for you. May I please have your name?" He picked up the pen, and poised it above the paper ready to scribe her response in his best 3rd grade penmanship. Despite getting assigned to the main lobby to answer phones for 3 days, the young officer genuinely respected his new sergeant. He was only here a few weeks and he had already shown more fairness toward the younger officers like himself than his predecessor. Three days off the street was much better than a rip. He would think twice before applying all the advice his training officer had given about "letting people work out their problems themselves." He was not prepared for her response.

"It is personal and confidential. He will remember me from his time at the 12th precinct. I would appreciate if you would tell him that there is an attorney here to see him." She passed the young officer her card.

"Great, just great." was what he thought. "I will let him know right away, maam" was what actually came out of his mouth.

Just then, one of the prankster veteran officers, named Charles, appeared out of nowhere without warning like a "bad penny" as his grandmother would have said.

"Officer Reagan's partner from the 12th is on duty and right around the corner." Officer Charles broke in. "Let me show you to a conference room and I'll send her in." The veteran officer winked at the rookie who looked like he was watching his career go down the drain in slow motion.

Without giving her much of a chance to object, she was ushered into a small private waiting area clearly designed for members of the public to meet with someone from the department without bringing them upstairs or into any of the areas of the precinct where arrests were being processed or questioning was taking place. She figured it wasn't what she wanted but at least it was a start. Showing up at the 12th precinct earlier had resulted in little more that the knowledge that Jamie had transferred to the 2-9. She only got that much because she ran into a detective who had gone through the academy with Jamie and vaguely remembered her.

"I'll have Officer Janko come right over to talk to you. If Reagan is tied up, Janko will be able to contact him for sure." Charles chuckled to himself because he was pretty sure from the woman's body language that this was a "personal" friend of Sergeant Reagan. He anxiously awaited the show that would take place when his fiancé walked into the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Eddie Janko was nearly ready to hit the streets with her partner for the day, when the call came that there was someone to see her in the main lobby. She thought the desk officer looked uncomfortable when Officer Charles, a first class jackass, approached and told her that there was someone who wanted to talk to her and Sergeant Reagan about something from the 12th precinct. Eddie confidently walked into the small meeting room and sat down across the table from the young woman. Everything about her screamed money and prestige. Eddie recognized the type - she spent half her life with women like this. It wasn't until she removed her hat, and sat down giving the woman her complete attention that she realized who she was sitting across from. She recognized the woman from some college photos Jamie had in a box and a few that included his entire family so they couldn't be disposed of outright. Eddie was about to meet the mysterious Sydney Davenport.

For her part, Sydney had no idea at all that she was sitting across from Jamie's new fiance. In the five years since they broke up, Sydney had come to realize she had lost something valuable. While she had dated men with more money, prestige or power than Jamie, none had his character or loyalty. She stood firmly behind her decision to put Sydney first and take the job she wanted, since Jamie had done the same for himself, yet she often wondered why she couldn't have both. She was quite confident that as long as Jamie was unmarried - and who knows, even if he was - she could get him back. College friends had offhandedly brought up the fact that he had not met or married anyone else, when she had dinner with them on a trip home last spring to interview for a position back in New York. Of course she got the job, and after spending six months or so wrapping up her British cases, she returned to the city. She had been here now for a little over three months. She had an apartment, and she was settling into life at her new job and as a New Yorker once again. It was now time to focus on her personal life.

A lack of fulfillment in that area was the main reason she decided to go after the stateside job with her firm again. The expatriates she met in England were for the most part either playboys by nature or looking to meet and marry a foreign woman. They were definitely not what she was looking for either. She found that as soon as she turned 30, she had felt like she deserved more than just the great job and beautiful apartment. She deserved to have a family. Foreign men were fun, but she did not want the entanglement of a marriage to someone from another country. She was a realist after all. Most marriages between people in her line of work didn't work out. The last thing she wanted 10 years from now was an international divorce and custody battle, so she decided to return home and reclaim her American life.

Eddie was instantly flustered, uncharacteristically so, when she realized who she was talking to. She stammered out an introduction, only giving her name. Her fears were confirmed when a hand was extended back to her.

"Sydney Davenport. I'm an old friend of Jamie's and we have been playing some phone tag, so I thought I'd just stop by and say hi."

The phone tag she described was in reality Jamie ignoring her two messages on his cell phone. He had no interest in "catching up" with Sydney but he felt at least partly responsible for the breakup, so he did not want to be rude in telling her so. He figured if she was ignored a few times, she would give up. Jamie had forgotten how persistent Sydney could be. He had all but forgotten that he was actually starting to date Dana back in their Harvard Law days, when Sydney decided that the two smartest people in the room needed to join forces. She was relentless, and slowly but surely ensured his relationship with Dana never quite got off the ground. Sydney made sure she was there to sweep in once Dana had been scared off.

Hearing that Sydney was in contact with Jamie was like a punch in the gut. Eddie decided right then and there she was not going to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her upset, not Sydney, Officer Charles (who was clearly up to something) or even Jamie. She twisted her engagement ring around her finger.

Sydney looked at the ring, sensing that Eddie's twisting must be some kind of tell the young officer had. Sydney did not recognize it as the one she had worn, since Jamie had reset the ring for Eddie. He had chosen to add the diamond to a new setting, and add another stone to the antique setting of his mother's. However, Sydney was a shrewd lawyer. She instantly knew there was something between this young woman and Jamie. She also quickly assessed why the cocky officer by the desk had been so eager to help. She needed to regroup. Her little white lie about being in contact with Jamie had clearly upset the woman. It was time to learn a little more about the pretty blond across from her.

"Your ring is lovely," she told her.

Eddie had to resist the urge to pull it away from her view but instead kept eye contact and dismissively said simply "thanks." She continued, "I don't seem to remember you from any of the cases Reagan and I worked at the 12th. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Not really, I'm sorry if I wasted your time. It's more of a personal matter between Jamie and I."

"Alright then, I understand the desk officer has already contacted Sergeant Reagan and I'm sure he will be with you as soon as possible. I'm going to head out if there is nothing I can do for you."

"No Officer Janko," Sydney replied sweetly. "I will be Ok... just waiting to speak with Jamie." She purposely kept using his first name because she could tell the woman nearly winced every time she did.

Eddie stood up, picked up her cap making sure to keep the inside with Jamie's picture out of view. She confidently told her predecessor to have a nice day and walked out of the room. With as much of her normal cheer as possible, she closed the door and walked over to the forlorn young rookie at the desk. "Sorry Jonesy, but I can't help her. She'll have to cool her heels and wait for Sarge. I'm going out on patrol." Charles and his partner were still milling about and got little satisfaction from watching Eddie confidently walk towards the front door to where her partner was waiting. "Thanks a lot, Charles," she quipped. "Now my partner gets to drive." She flashed the two partners a 1000 watt smile and left.

Jamie had received the news that a woman named Sydney Davenport was waiting to speak with him. He nearly had a coronary when the message came over the radio. He immediately rushed back to the 2-9 where he was just in time to see Eddie barrel out the front door without acknowledging him. He knew instantly she had met Sydney. He could feel the burning embarrassment and feared how badly she was upset. He had no other choice but to text her the word "Sydney" with several question marks and a "WTH". He got no response.

Jamie walked up to the main desk. He could see Charles snickering with another officer in the corner, obviously waiting to see some kind of show. Before dealing with the Sydney problem, he was going to take care of this. "Charles, dispatch never said you were helping out at the desk this morning. Making sure all of the members of the public feel welcome? Your also supposed to have been out on patrol 20 minutes ago. Come see me after shift." Now he turned to the young rookie working the desk. "Who decided to bring me in off the street for a visitor? You couldn't just take her information?"

"I was trying Sarge, I had the card in my hand. But Charles seemed to recognize her and then he put her in a waiting room and contacted Officer Janko. I didn't know if there was something I wasn't aware of. I just did what I thought I was supposed to do and contacted you."

"OK, Jones. Just make sure that from this point on, unless you hear directly from me, that woman is NOT someone I plan on speaking with again."

Jamie strode towards the door where Sydney was waiting. She had been there for only about 20 minutes. Considering that she had still found time to completely upset his fiancee, Jamie had no idea what to expect. He paused to put on his game face then opened the door and sat down, not at the chair closest to Sydney but one with a bit of distance. "Hey Syd, what can I do for you?"

"Jamie," she attempted to gush, "It's been so long." Before she could continue, Jamie put up his hand.

"Sydney, unless there is some emergency I have nothing at all to say to you. It has been five years and I have moved on with my life. I figured when I ignored your phone calls, that you would take the hint. I don't want to catch up. I don't want to be friends. Let's just agree to nod politely when we run into each other at a courthouse or social event." he paused. These were the first real words of anger he'd spoken to her in five years. The breakup had been sad and shocking. She had clearly planned it for some time and then she had left the matters of selling the apartment and splitting up their belongings to Jamie and her father. Sydney had walked out and never looked back. Jamie hadn't tried to change her mind. "Unless you have some sort of problem that you need help with - and if you do I'll refer you to someone else I trust. We have nothing more to say to each other."

Cue the tears. Sydney knew just how to push Jamie's buttons. "I am so sorry," she sniffled. "I had no idea that she was your fiancé. I just wanted to let you know how sorry…"

Jamie immediately cut her off. "No need to apologize but if there's nothing else, I have to get back to work." He was sure that the apology she offered him was both well deserved and insincere.

Getting the confirmation she sought about the nature of the relationship between Jamie and the young woman named Eddie, Sydney ignored him, proceeding, "So, you're a sergeant now?"

"Yes, Sydney. Career advancement is not limited to the legal profession. Again, unless you have something I can help you with professionally, we are done here.." Jamie barely gave her 10 seconds to respond before opening the door, "Have a nice day." he said then walked out.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jamie Reagan already had a raging headache and it was only 10:30. He was riding with one of the rookie officers and felt like he had to keep his emotions under check. He had forgotten how much stress relief could come when you were in the patrol car and able to unload to your partner. Unfortunately he remembered this because his current partner was not someone he felt he could discuss things with, especially personal things. He may have gotten that message, however his partner did not.

Officer DeSoto was young and looked to be the kind of guy who was enjoying being single. He made sure that his hair was cut tight and highlighted, his cologne was evident but not overpowering, and he must have practiced the smile he gave to all the females they met on patrol. To his credit, he wasn't necessarily trying to pick anyone up. Like Jamie's old partner Vinny, he had charm to spare. He even had offered the 90 year old grandmother returning from church a compliment on her hat. DeSoto was a people person. Jamie hoped to capitalize on that in the community and help DeSoto become a leader among the other officers. Today it was DeSoto himself who was capitalizing on his assets. "So rough morning, Sarge?"

"You can say that again." Jamie managed a small smile.

"I think you are doing a great job, honestly. I know some of the veteran guys are being a pain in the ass, but they are just sore because they did worse on the exam than you did. But there are reasons for that and I'm pretty sure test taking skills are not among them."

Thanks Vic, but I think my problems are bigger than Charles' fragile ego. My ex just showed up at the precinct and ran right into Eddie. I have no idea what she said, but she's a real piece of work. I may be sleeping on the couch tonight and I won't even know why." Jamie felt a small bit better not holding in all his frustration. They immediately got a call and thoughts of his personal difficulties were pushed to the side.

Later, when Jamie and Vic returned to the station Jamie got some more bad news. Eddie had gone home sick a few minutes beforehand. The desk sergeant for the day seemed genuinely surprised when Jamie asked, "Hey, you see Officer Janko yet?"

"She must have eaten something off, I've never known her to complain so put her on a desk and then I sent her home as soon as her shift was over." Jamie was both thankful and annoyed by the other sergeant's decision.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

In the few short months Eddie had been at the 2-9, she had established herself as a person with an incredible work ethic. She was always the first one to grab an extra shift to help fill gaps or pick up the slack when someone else got sick. She never complained or asked for anything special. When Eddie returned to the station from their first arrest to process the shoplifter, she was looking physically ill. After she signed her paperwork, the desk sergeant pulled her aside. "You feeling OK, Officer Janko?"

"Yes Sarge, I'll be fine. I think I ate something that didn't agree with me. "

"I don't know what kind of fancy food trucks you had up there at the 12th, but here at the 2-9 you need to watch yourself. You need to build up a tolerance for our street cuisine." he joked. Getting only a weak smile in return, he continued. "Look, I have Jones on the front desk. Why don't you two switch places. Then you can head out as soon as your shift is over. Let me know if you need to leave sooner and we can park someone else out there for the time being. Eddie realized the wisdom of this decision in the state she was in. Jones was more than happy to escape from dealing with the general public at the desk. True to his word, the desk Sergeant made sure her replacement was at the desk as soon as the shift was over. Eddie nearly ran to the locker room to quickly change and secure her duty weapon. Not ten minutes after shift change, she slipped out the side door and headed out. Eddie had taken her own car to work because she wanted to stop by the printer for the samples she and Jamie had requested. Instead, she pulled out of the parking lot with no particular destination in mind. Jamie had been texting her at random times all afternoon. She simply ignored them, trying to get her head on straight and process everything that had happened.

After his shift and before Jamie could do anything else about Eddie, Charles appeared. "You wanted to see me Sarge?" Jamie was ready for the mother of all takedowns. He had spoken with his Captain earlier in the day to tell him his plan for dealing with this negative influence who was willing to abandon his own duty to set up an emotional trap for a fellow officer. The Captain had bigger plans. Jamie asked him to follow him to a conference room where a union rep and the Captain were waiting. This was not the first time he had gotten into scrapes related to pranking or pulling something on his fellow officers. Charles quickly realized his decision to amuse himself had some drastic consequences this time.

"Before we begin, I took the liberty of having your union rep present," Jamie began. While it was not necessary unless Charles chose to grieve the consequences of his actions, Jamie was sending a strong message. Plus, he knew the other officers were gradually finding his antics less humorous as time went on. It seemed the longer he was allowed to behave this way, the meaner and more petty his actions had become. Knowing that the union agreed that everything that happened to Charles was above board would let people know it wasn't personal. "I'm not sure if you are aware, but there was a robbery in your sector this morning while you were standing around playing games with people. We have consulted with the union and plan to take every available action against you in regards to this matter. To start with, you were not at your post within a reasonable amount of time after roll call. And because you chose to issue command orders without proper authority or approval, and had other officers pulled off duty as well, you are suspended for 3 days."

Before Jamie could say anything more or Charles could react, the captain broke in, "As a result of your dereliction of duty, the officers who responded to the robbery from an adjacent sector took twice the acceptable response time we set forth at the last community meeting. Now I look like a liar! Do I look like a liar to you, Charles?" the Captain thundered. "When this morning started, you were looking at a rip from your sergeant for getting to your position late and interfering with the job of a fellow officer. By noon things had changed for you considerably. An elderly man was shot in the commission of that robbery. Are you ready to tell his family what you were doing when you were supposed to be protecting him?"

"No sir," Charles shrank back against the chair.

"Well that's what I was doing at noon. I had to do some kind of dance to keep a lawsuit from being filed against us. Not to mention losing the trust of another family in this neighborhood. I have spoken with both your sergeant and your union rep. I have told them that today is your LAST day as an officer at the 2-9. I am accepting one of the transfer requests we have from Staten Island. You will be accepting their position after the 3 day suspension from Sergeant Reagan is finished. Here is a box, pack your things."

Charles was stunned. He looked at his union rep who shook his head. Non-voluntary transfers were grievable, but only if there was retribution involved. Charles immediately realized that the circumstances that took place in his sector and the consequences of his actions this morning would shut down any notion of that. He quietly took the box and left the room.

Jamie spent another 15 minutes speaking with the Captain and PBA representative. All three felt no remorse. If Charles was ever going to become a decent officer, let alone a leader in the department, he would need to learn a very hard lesson. His partner who had waited around for him, was put on desk duty for a week for also not reporting to his sector within a reasonable time. He had been spoken to by the Captain and his own union rep earlier. He was more than happy to avoid any other serious consequences for the trouble his partner had gotten him into again. He had felt sick to his stomach hearing about the shooting in the area he had been assigned to, knowing the outcome might have been different if they were there. Charles had treated it like they were lucky to avoid the situation AND watch their sergeant and his fiancé squirm.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Eddie drove for what felt like hours. Leaving the city far behind, she was thankful for the GPS on her phone, because it was the only way she would be able to find her way back. When she saw signs for a state park, she pulled off the highway. The parking area was nearly empty but was well lit and seemed safe. She pulled into a parking spot. Finally she let go of all the complicated emotions she was bottling up and let herself have a good, long cry. As the tears were streaming down her face and her insecurities were becoming deeper and deeper, Jamie's texts were becoming more frantic and frequent. She finally responded, "Long day, went 4 a ride. See you later."

After another 15 minutes had passed, Eddie realized she needed to really think about the events of the morning. Clearly Sydney had no idea that she and Jamie were engaged, at least she didn't think so. But, Sydney said she and Jamie had been playing phone tag? "When was that happening?" Eddie began to wonder if every time she was off doing her own thing, Jamie had taken the opportunity to call Sydney. It would explain why they had struggled to connect, Eddie was out on her own at random times which were not necessarily convenient for someone working 9-5 to talk. It might explain the phone tag, but It would not explain the Jamie she knew. He was loyal and devoted. So much so that she often wondered if he was sacrificing his own relationships with colleagues to make sure they favored her. "What was going on?" Eddie knew she was difficult sometimes. She had strong opinions and even stronger ideas about how things should be done. "Maybe she was just too demanding? Did she overdo it changing his apartment to a place that felt like both of them?" If there was any aspect of her appearance or personality trait she could be insecure about, today was the day she indulged.

Jamie had returned home expecting to find Eddie already in their apartment. He had brought flowers, ice cream and cookie dough to make her feel better. He expected to find her either upset or angry with him. He did not anticipate finding her absent. He looked everywhere including the shower, a favorite place of hers to cry it out when she didn't want him to know how troubled she was. By the time he realized she was gone, he was beside himself.

It had been a long time since Sydney's antics had created this kind of difficulty for him. She was a chaos bomb that was always conspicuously absent when it blew up. If you took the time to look deeper, she was at the root of the problem. He remembered her subtly playing on the insecurities of Dana and any other girl who came within 50 feet of him, however innocently their intentions were. She made sure to put up roadblocks for family so that they rarely stopped over or tried to get together except on Sundays. She even controlled their social activity making sure that the people they spent time with were from her job or social circle. Jamie had been going through so much at that time that instead of standing up to her and the people she bullied, he let it happen.

Jamie wracked his brain trying to figure out where Eddie could have gone. He called Kara, but she was working. He called his grandfather but she wasn't there. "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures" was the advice Henry had offered when he gave him the abridged version of the day's events.

That's when he remembered the app. The 2-9 had hosted a community event focused on safety. They suggested installing an app that could track your phone if you were ever lost or missing. All you needed was to provide a password for loved ones to use in case of emergency. She wanted to set the right example for the young women in the audience, so she had installed it on her phone and Jamie's. With her password, he could see where she was the last time she connected to a cell tower. This would definitely qualify as an emergency to him.

He entered the password for her account into the app on his phone to get her location. She was about an hour away in a state park along the Hudson. Her car wasn't moving. Jamie hastily grabbed his keys and practically ran down to his car. Because he was following a specific route rather than simply driving around, he arrived in about 45 minutes. He had pulled over and texted Eddie about every 15 minutes before he arrived, begging her to stay put. She was not sure she was ready to talk to him when he arrived but she had stayed put anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Jamie pulled the Chevelle into the lot and found her car immediately. She had parked her silver Porsche near the bathroom building and in a well lit area. The sun was going down and the park was almost deserted by now. He didn't want to startle her, so he texted to say he was there.

He saw his message was delivered, but there was still no return text. After a moment, Jamie got out of his car and walked up to the window of the Porsche. He could see that Eddie was terribly upset. Her eyes were swollen and red. Her face was blotchy and puffy. It was obvious she had been crying for some time. A part of him wished he hadn't seen her like this. The person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with was sitting in front of him, broken. He was the cause, not the direct cause maybe, but the cause nonetheless.

He should have answered the first text that Sydney sent and told her to go to hell. He should also have told Eddie all about it right away, letting her know that Sydney meant nothing to him. As soon as Jamie met Eddie, he realized that Sydney had never really meant anything to him. They were two women with absolutely nothing in common, except a connection to him. But, Jamie knew why he hadn't said anything: fear, pure and simple. He had just pulled off the recovery of the century by finding the Brooklyn Winery as a compromise wedding venue. It felt so much more like them, elegant and uncomplicated. The ballroom Eddie had taken him to had reminded him vividly of the places Sydney and her mother kept dragging him to. He was determined that everything between him and Eddie would bear no resemblance to his relationship with Sydney. The ballroom had instantly brought back the vague interest and claustrophobic feelings that he had felt whenever the topic of wedding plans had come up between him and Sydney.

Now, after making amends with Eddie about the way he had handled things with their reception venue, he was terrified to bring another ghost from the past into their relationship. Would he be able to make her understand that the past held nothing but bad memories for him? She was his future. Eddie and his new life were like breathing fresh air for the first time. He was absolutely terrified that Eddie would leave him too. So Jamie had kept silent - and that might be the decision that realized his fears.

Jamie softly rapped on the window of her car. She already knew he was standing there, she could sense him looking at her. She turned to face him. Eddie was past the point of hiding how she felt, not that she could have if she tried.

"Can I get in?" Jamie almost begged.

"Sure," was all she could manage to respond with.

Jamie walked around the front of the car, and as he passed Eddie could see how despondent he was. Jamie opened the door and slipped into the passenger seat. He sat there for a few moments in silence and then reached for her hand. Eddie did not resist but she didn't squeeze his hand back, the way she normally would. She was completely confused and drained. She would allow Jamie to pull her back from her despondency but she lacked the energy to help him.

"Eddie, I want you to know that before this morning, I haven't spoken a word to Sydney since you and I met."

Eddie let the magnitude of that declaration set in. "She said you were playing phone tag," Eddie almost choked out.

"That is not true. Sydney had left me a few messages, which I chose to ignore. I wanted NOTHING to do with her, but I was too busy to bother to tell her. I was also afraid her contacting me would upset you, so I just ignored her and hoped she would go away." Jamie hung his head with shame. "Do you want to go for a walk?" he hopefully asked.

"OK," she shyly agreed.

"Wait there." he quietly told her. Quickly he got out of her passenger seat and moved around to open her driver side door. Jamie grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. He wasted no time pulling her into a firm and reassuring hug. Finally he could feel her returning the gesture. They stood like that for a few minutes without moving, like one statue. They held onto each other much the same way they had after Eddie had saved his life outside the coffee shop. It was like they were trying to weather a storm together.

"Ed, tell me exactly what happened this morning."

Eddie left her head leaning against Jamie's chest. She went through the entire ordeal without holding back. She also made sure that Jamie understood how confused she was.

"Jamie, this woman was someone you loved, yet you NEVER talk about her. I knew you for years before I even found out you had been engaged. I have no idea what she was like or anything about you two together. There must be some reason you won't talk about it." Eddie was softly crying once again.

Jamie's voice was breaking too when her answered the unspoken question she had posed to him.

"I am ashamed about that time in my life, so I don't talk about it. I was feeling so much grief and pain at the time she and I got together, that I clung to a person that seemed stronger than I could ever be. But if you've taught me anything these past years, it's that strength is not showing no emotion, but instead being willing to lay your whole heart on the line regardless of what people think. Sydney was not a person who was interested in being my support system or my shoulder to cry on. Instead, she challenged me to push down all the negative feelings or sadness and just move on. After a while, I knew that wasn't healthy for me, but it sure was easier than dealing with it. There were no messy or complicated emotions getting in the way. I am partly to blame, because in the end I used that same tool against her. I pushed her away because it was easier to get her to leave than to stand up to her and tell her she wasn't the person I thought she was...or I don't know maybe I wasn't the person she thought I was. Either way, I knew we weren't good together so I just allowed the emotional distance to just get wider and wider until she had enough."

After a few moments more silence, he continued. "You are absolutely everything to me. I want you to know that from now on, I am an open book. You can ask me anything about her, or anything else about my life for that matter, and I will tell you. Please just come home." The last sentence was his breaking point. He allowed a few tears to fall as well.

Eddie felt instantly calmed by everything he said. She was exhausted and spent, but no longer had any doubts about her fiance and how he felt. "I'm sorry I let her get to me. I know she was trying to make something like this happen, and I just walked right into the trap."

"Truth is, we should probably thank her. I needed to tell you more than I had about the past and how it affects me. I want you to understand that planning our wedding is a completely different experience from anything I've ever done before. I want to be part of it, and I want it to reflect US. Any time I've panicked or seemed reluctant, it's only because this is so important to me. I want it to be everything you've ever dreamed of, but more than that, I want it to be what WE dream of together. All this stuff I'm telling you now is stuff I should have told you from the start."

"You're completely right," Eddie told him with conviction and he chuckled softly. "I mean we should thank her because we are going to leave here stronger than we were when we arrived. I can't believe that jackass Charles, though. Don't tell my sergeant, but I'm going to make sure he knows better than to try anything with me again."

"No need for that. Put your speakerphone on for the ride home and I'll tell you about what you missed by heading right out after shift."

"First, lets just sit on the benches over there for a while and watch the sunset. It really is beautiful here. I'm not ready to get back in the car just yet."

"Me neither" he said, finally allowing the immense weight to be lifted off his shoulders.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Sydney couldn't believe how her morning had turned out. Jamie had completely changed in the last five years. He was no longer the person she remembered, always willing to compromise to make everyone else happy. That's what she missed the most. Jamie had always realized that it was easier to let her have her way rather than make things difficult. Now he was behaving like every other guy she'd met since they broke up.

She became more and more furious the longer she thought about it. He had the audacity to put his hand up and tell her to stop talking. "Who the hell did he think he was?" By the time she got herself some coffee and took something to clear her head, she decided to head back to the 29th precinct and do a little investigating of her own. As a lawyer working on civil cases against the large companies she represented, Sydney had needed to use investigators frequently. She'd even managed to tag along a few times to see the claimants in action for herself. During that time, the biggest trick she picked up was to use the tools she had. Sydney was a chameleon. One minute she could look like an intimidating attorney, the next a sweet vulnerable young woman. It all depended on what she wanted to gain. Today she had wanted to gain information and so far she had done pretty well.

After a few hours, she learned quite a bit about _Sergeant_ Jameson Reagan. He was new to the precinct, his old colleagues mentioned he had "just transferred". He did not have a consistent partner any longer. The officer at the desk had asked someone on the phone, "Who is Sarge riding with today?" Finally, she saw that old car he loved so much inside the fenced in lot for official and employee vehicles. Close, but subtle inspection showed her two different parking tags visible on the rearview mirror inside the vehicle. So she knew there were a few places other than work that he frequented. One might be his apartment? She thought back to what she remembered. Jamie used to like working out at that boxing gym. She'd have to try to figure out where that was again. Sydney was feeling a clarity return and it was being joined by a new plan. After his antics this morning, Sydney wasn't sure she wanted Jamie back anymore. But one thing was sure, she definitely wasn't going to let him get away with treating her like he did. Jamie would be sorry he dismissed her like that.

Sydney had a car of her own but it was much too nice be driving around in the kind of neighborhoods she was visiting today. Thankfully, her law firm encouraged its lawyers to rent a vehicle for conducting business. The cost of a few dollars a day was better that having their employees or their property at risk, not to mention it could be easily billed to the clients. Her firm was unaware of the "research" she was actually doing today. They had been more than happy to have a rental car delivered to her this morning. Sydney Davenport was driving around Brooklyn in a nondescript gray sedan which was the last vehicle anyone would expect her to be seen in.

When she saw Jamie leave the 29th precinct in a hurry a little after 5 o'clock, she wasn't surprised. The blond officer he was engaged to had fled the building about an hour earlier. Using the side door for her escape, Sydney nearly missed seeing Eddie leave. She had to move her vehicle frequently to avoid anyone taking notice, and managed to catch Eddie coming out an exit less frequently used. Sydney found a different vantage point to stop and wait. Remembering a little about the shift work Jamie had done in the past, she knew he would be getting out of work somewhere between 3 and 5 o'clock. From the moment she saw Eddie, she was on high alert. When he emerged, only someone who knew him well would have been able to tell how upset he was. There was a particular set to his jaw that he got when he was worked up. Otherwise, he was generally able to remain calm and mask his feelings from those around him. It was one of the qualities Sydney admired most about him. He never even paused to look around other than when crossing the street. Jamie went right to his car and drove away. Sydney put her car in gear and followed behind.

Another trick her investigators had taught her was to quit while she was ahead. After figuring out where Jamie, and presumably Eddie, lived she considered her work for the day complete. She was ready to take everything she had and compile a plan of action. Jamie Reagan was going to understand how wrong he had been to rudely push her away. Maybe when he begged her to come back to him, or maybe when he was realizing the consequences of his mistake, but he WOULD understand.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

The following 2 months did nothing to diminish Sydney's disgust with Jamie. She couldn't think of him anymore without seeing his hand raised up in her face to stop her from talking. How dare he treat her with such disrespect after everything she had done for him! Every night as she had had a drink to attempt to wash away the anger she felt towards him, she contemplated how to show him the error of his ways.

Sydney mainly practiced corporate law, but during her time in England she had specialized trying in other types of cases when financial misdeeds were involved. She was especially talented at understanding complicated fiscal trails and explaining them to a judge or jury. Some of the cases were civil and others were criminal, but they often kept her in and around the Manhattan County Courthouse.

Her legal career had been very good to her and recently it provided her some inspiration for how to handle her problem. A recent court case with a Reagan connection, this time Danny Reagan, gave her an idea. Danny and his partner had discovered that a man and his mistress, a local college professor, were gas lighting the man's wife. By making her think she was losing her mind, the woman had become more fragile and emotional as time went on. When they were unable to break her, they had framed her for murder. Sydney was fascinated by the case and sat in whenever she could. While she was certainly not proposing anything as drastic as murder, she was not above having a little fun with Jamie and his fiancee. Who knows where that could lead?

Access to the court's dockets and witness lists was an added benefit of her work. She did not have to wait too long until she saw a familiar name on the witness list for an upcoming trial. The trial was being held in Manhattan because the accused had committed a string of crimes throughout all 5 boroughs. Some of the earliest ones took place in Manhattan, and so the case was investigated and then assigned for trial there. The suspect had been arrested in a sting operation in Brooklyn and Jamie Reagan had been a part of the multi-jurisdictional team that brought him down. She knew Jamie was due to testify the following day. Sydney began to formulate a plan.

She dressed in a hoodie and sweatshirt, hiding her long, brown hair from view. Driving over the Brooklyn Bridge was both familiar and bittersweet. While there was no way she would ever live there, unless it was in the more stately section of the borough where Jamie's father lived, she was not at all surprised that Jamie had left Manhattan for Brooklyn after they broke up. Sydney parked around the corner from the florist and went inside. She had chosen the shop carefully. It was close to his precinct but not the closest one. She had seen Jamie make a stop at a different shop twice already when she was checking up on him. Apparently, Jamie was still the kind of guy who brought his girl flowers every week or so. Confident that Jamie was unlikely to patronize this business, she approached the counter.

_"I'd like to send some flowers."_

_"Of Course, Miss. How can I help you?"_

Sydney proceeded to give the man her order, and arrange for a delivery receipt to be mailed to her. Paying for the purchase in cash, she walked out of the shop feeling very satisfied with herself.

Sydney had known exactly when to set her plan in motion because she had seen Jamie's name on the witness list. Had she been less excited and shown a little more attention to detail, she would have noticed that the name "Edit Janko" was also there. As a decoy from a sting operation, Janko had been listed as a victim and not an investigating officer, like Jamie and the other detectives who they had worked with.

Two days after Jamie and Eddie had both testified about the takedown that had resulted in the arrest of the suspect, a postcard arrived in the mail to their apartment. The front was a logo for a florist about 20 blocks from their home. The small image on the back was of a beautiful but not extravagant floral arrangement. Underneath were the details of its delivery.

_Recipient: Ms. Sydney Davenport_

_Message: Great seeing you yesterday. Missed you - J._

The timestamp let the postcard recipient know that the flowers had been delivered the day before.


	9. Chapter 9

***Because the hiatus between seasons doesn't always exist in BB and events in the premier can take place days after the prior season finale, I have shaved a year or so off of their partnership making it about four years long and the breakup with Sydney about six years before. ***

Chapter 9:

Sydney had done her homework and had seen firsthand the nauseatingly happy little home life that Jamie and Eddie had established. Most afternoons, it was Eddie who arrived home first, grabbing the mail and heading inside for a little while before heading out to a kickboxing or yoga class. Jamie usually followed about two hours later, clearly returning from Donovan's gym. As much planning as she had done, there were two things that Sydney hadn't counted on during the feverish excitement of her late night planning sessions. One: Jamie and Eddie had been at the courthouse together the entire time they testified and Two: Jamie, not Eddie, had retrieved the mail that afternoon.

Jamie walked into their apartment completely confused and bewildered. He was trying to remember if he had ever even used that florist over 6 years ago when he would have been in a position to send Sydney flowers. Realizing he couldn't think of a time he had used anyone other than the place frequented by his grandfather, and owned by a family friend from their parish, he was unnerved.

"Ed." he called out. "Eddie, come here. I need you to see something." Old Jamie might have kept this to himself and attempted to get to the bottom of it on his own. But, experience had taught him that keeping things from people he trusted never led to anything good.

Eddie came out of the bathroom having just taken a shower. He was instantly reminded why he loved her so much. She obviously hastily wrapped herself in a towel and rushed out. She wore an expression of concern. He was both aroused by her appearance and grateful for her support.

"What's wrong, lambchop? You look confused."

Jamie was gripping the postcard in his hand. "You need to see this. What the f!, what the actual f$% ?"

Eddie took the postcard from his hand. She turned it back and forth several times, checking the dates, trying to figure out what was going on.

"I swear Eddie the only time we were apart at the courthouse was when I went to the men's room. I haven't been in the same room with Sydney since that day at the precinct, and I was abundantly clear with her. There was no way either of us could describe that interaction as "great". There's no way I would send her flowers afterwards, and I certainly didn't yesterday either." his voice was raising into a panic.

Eddie remained calm and even keeled. "I believe you," she assured him. "Could somebody at the 29 be pranking us. I hope all that shit doesn't start up again."

"I guess that could be it, but after Charles got involuntarily transferred and his partner ended up with a rip and riding a desk, I'd be surprised."

"Nothing surprises me." Eddie said bitterly. "Why the hell to some people have to make it so difficult." It was moments like this that she lost confidence in the progress they had made at their new precinct. Just when it started to feel like home, something like this happened.

Eddie's calm demeanor had an instant effect on Jamie, giving him his own sense of clarity. "Well I'm not going to go all commando about it. That's what they want me to do. I'm going to deal with it the way I did with Charles. The first thing I need to do is figure out who's responsible. I'll deal directly with them and not alienate the rest of the squad."

"You don't think...Tuna?" Eddie wondered aloud disappointed.

"Nah, he's a lot of things but this is a bit much for him. He liked the pranks that lit everyone up in the house...liked creating a scene. There's no audience on this one. Plus it's truly hurtful. I don't think he'd stoop to that level...at least unprovoked."

Jamie felt instantly better. "Hey, let's head over to that burger place you like around the corner. I don't feel like waiting for us to make anything. And I definitely don't feel like cleaning up."

"Give me 10 minutes to get ready."

"Ok, so we leave in 20 minutes," he teased. "I'm going to take out the trash and I'll be right back."

Sydney had made a last minute decision to head over to the vantage spot she had found in a parking lot across the street from Jamie's building. She expected to see one or both of them come storming out in a state of distress. As long as she bought herself a coffee, the convenience store manager didn't mind if she parked in their lot to enjoy it. Nothing surprised her more than the fact that 15 minutes after she arrived, Jamie and Eddie emerged hand in hand, looking deliriously happy. She had to stop herself from gripping the paper cup so hard that her special blend of coffee would spill as it collapsed in her hands. Convincing herself that Eddie must have missed the postcard or he had hidden it from her, she decided to go back to her place. She was exhausted and had court tomorrow.

While Sydney plotted the next part of her plan over a drink or two, Jamie was contacting his captain about his plan to end the pranking at the 29, which had just gotten a whole lot meaner. Jamie wasn't the type to grieve it or file suit about a hostile work environment but other people might if they were next. They needed to end this behavior among their ranks that had seriously destructive potential.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Before heading into work the 4 to midnight shift, Jamie and Eddie stopped off at the floral shop whose delivery had caused so much stress. Jamie produced the mailing and abruptly asked the sales clerk what she knew about it.

_"__You sent someone flowers, I guess. Was that not what you ordered? Are you not Jameson Reagan?"_ The sales clerk asked the questions, but in no way seemed interested in the answer.

_"__Actually it's police Sergeant Reagan and I most certainly did NOT send anyone flowers."_ Producing his badge he asked, _"Can you tell me the name on the credit card used to place the order? This may be part of a case involving harassment and impersonation of a police officer."_

Jamie may have been reaching as far as the potential charges were concerned, but technically he was correct. (Not that the formerly ambivalent clerk needed to know that.) Jamie was just hoping that the postcard was a fake and the entire order was fabricated. Then he would not need to contact Sydney, letting her know that the flowers she received were a gag. Perhaps he could get his captain to contact her, or perhaps even another officer. The last thing he wanted was for him or Eddie to need to talk to her again.

Jamie was disappointed to learn the payment had been made in cash. He took out his business card along with a photo ID, proving he was indeed the person whose name and address were listed in their system. _"If anyone tries to send flowers again using my name, I want you to call me. As he turned to leave the shop, the now eager to help young woman asked, "Do you just want to look at the surveillance video?"_

That stopped Jamie and Eddie in their tracks. 10 minutes later, Jamie was both shocked and surprised to see an unusually casually dressed Sydney Davenport herself filling out the paperwork to send herself flowers. Both he and Eddie were dumbfounded. What was her end game? Did she want to drive a wedge between the two of them? Her reappearance after so many years was strange enough. This was really unexpected. Jamie let the young woman know that she should still call if his name was used again, and numbly headed to work.

_"__So how crazy is this chick?"_ Captain Espinoza asked Jamie when they got to work and he filled him in. "_It's not the first time one of our officers, especially the female ones, have been the target of unwanted attention. Do you think she could be focusing on Eddie...or trying to use her to hurt you?"_

Jamie wasn't sure how to respond. If you asked him a few months ago. He would have told you that she was a great girl, and he was the one to blame for the breakup. She just had the courage to pull the cord. He would always feel a bit guilty that he had let their relationship progress as far as it did when he was clearly steering himself in his own direction. While he had admired her cool demeanor and single minded focus at a time he felt rudderless and alone, he was pretty sure he never actually loved her. At least not the way he loved Eddie, with his whole heart and soul.

_"__I'm not sure, Cap. But I am sure that whatever it is that Sydney's up to, Eddie will be able to handle it. So far it's just been playing head games with us. As far as I've ever seen, that's her style."_

_"__We still need to document this. You know, just in case she pulls some Fatal Attraction nonsense. For all we know she was only trying to make her new boyfriend jealous. She might have no idea they would send you a postcard. My advice is to spend a few minutes with me putting it down on paper to protect yourself. Then put it behind you both and forget about it."_ The captain nodded at Jamie for effect.

About 30 minutes later, as Eddie stood in the women's locker room getting dressed for her shift, she realized something. She trusted Jamie completely. For the first time since her father's arrest, she was able to trust someone without reservation when the chips were down. Even if she had not been at the courthouse with him, she would have accepted his account of the story. She knew that he was as devoted to her as she was to him. It never occurred to her that he was not being totally honest with her. Despite the events of the past two days, and Jamie's warning to be careful, Eddie headed out on patrol happy and confident.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

When Eddie and her partner, Rachel, responded to the scene of the car accident, it had happened only minutes before. Stunned passerbys were still staring in shock and had only just begun to take out their cameras to film the surroundings. Residents of the nearby buildings, in response to the loud crash and shaking of their homes, were either upstairs on their phones calling 911 or wandering downstairs to see what was going on. Steam, or possibly smoke, was pouring from the car's engine, rising high into the air. As soon as they approached the car from either side, they both knew it wasn't good.

Both the driver and front seat passengers were obviously dead, though they would need to wait for the paramedics and ME to confirm. Their injuries were gruesome and some of the worst Eddie had ever seen. Before they could do more than radio in what they had found, from behind the mangled roof of the SUV, they heard a cry. The roof had folded up like an accordion camouflaging the backseat and any occupants. As soon as Eddie called out, _"Hello, who's in there? Help is on its way.",_ the crying intensified. Eddie was pretty sure that it was a child in the backseat. Doing her best to ignore the carnage in the front seat, while being painfully aware of the smoke coming from the front of the battered vehicle, Eddie directed Rachel to point her light at the car and broke out the remaining glass from the back window. Clearing the opening, she leaned her upper body into the car. The child's car seat was tilted on its side, with the child laying half against the seat, still inside. Eddie pulled herself deeper into the car and using her utility knife, cut the straps from the child's shoulders. As soon as the baby felt herself free from the pressure of the restraints, she reached out towards Eddie in fear.

Eddie was able to carefully pull the child closer to herself, sliding her small body along the seat. While making sure to check her for any signs of trauma that might be worsened by moving her, Eddie tried to comfort the baby. She looked to be about 12 to 18 months if Eddie had to guess, based on the size of her friends' children. Before the ambulance arrived, a loud popping sound came from the front of the old car. Rachel yelled, _"Get out now! I see flames!"_ Before it was too late, Eddie gathered the child's thin frame into her arms and pulled her from the wreckage.

The child was finally beginning to fully awaken and the shock of waking up on her side, still strapped to her car seat, was wearing off. She began to cry in earnest, clinging to Eddie. Within moments, the scene was alive with lights and noise. The paramedics confirmed what was obvious to both Eddie and Rachel, that the driver and his passenger had died in the accident. The fire department was putting out the flames engulfing the engine and getting ready to dispose of the vehicle. Other officers, including Rachel, were canvassing and securing the accident scene. Eddie remained with the child. The only way the paramedics had been able to examine her was from her current position cradled in Eddie's arms.

When the sergeant approached Eddie and the baby, she was acutely aware of the cameras, both professional and amateur, that were documenting everything that was going on. She realized the PR potential of letting Officer Janko continue to provide comfort to the child, rather than directing her back to her post.

_"Head to the hospital with the victim, Janko. Whitten can meet you there when the scene is finished."_

Eddie and the baby were quickly whisked away to St. Vincent's Hospital. When they arrived, they were rushed into the ER and immediately put into a room. The baby steadfastly refused to let Eddie put her down, so they settled into a chair to wait for a doctor from pediatrics. Linda Reagan was the nursing supervisor on duty. She learned that her sister-in-law was waiting nearby with a young victim and stopped by to check on them. After seeing that the nurses were taking good care of her sister and her young charge, Linda offered to phone Jamie and let him know where Eddie was. The baby had fallen back to sleep in Eddie's arms and was calm and relaxed. By the time the doctors had come in to see her, and determined that the baby was in good health other than a series of cuts and bruises from the accident and being undernourished, Eddie's shift was long over. Eddie had directed Rachel to go home and assured her that she would fill her in on the status of the baby later.

The driver and passenger from the vehicle had been fingerprinted and then identified by the medical examiner. Within a few hours, detectives determined that the driver was Richard Morris, an ex-con who had been released from a prison upstate less than six months ago after serving almost six years for selling drugs. The 22 year-old passenger, and according to hospital records, the mother of a 19 month-old baby girl, was named Jennifer McCoy. She had a record for drunk driving and possession of narcotics from her teens. A product of the foster system herself, she had no next of kin other than her child.

Once the baby's fingerprints could be compared with the set from the hospital in the Bronx where she was born, and her DNA was compared to her mother's, the baby's identity would be formally established. Until then the child, named Elizabeth, would remain in the custody of Child Protective Services. Elizabeth was admitted to a room on the pediatrics ward to receive fluids, supplemental nutrition and IV antibiotics. Eddie remained with her the entire time. For reasons she could not quite explain, Eddie felt immensely protective of the little girl. Possibly it was hearing that she was suffering the effects of neglect, or possibly because she had imprinted on Eddie so strongly, but Eddie was determined to protect her.

Eddie decided she needed to speak with Jamie the moment he was available. He was working a day shift and had not been able to visit his wife at the hospital before reporting for his own tour of duty. Eddie had already called out for her next tour in order to keep vigil at the baby's bedside. At three o'clock Jamie arrived at St. Vincent's, with a change of clothes for his wife, after leaving work early to "check on their officer". After presenting his badge to learn the location of Eddie and the baby, he stood in the doorway of their room for 5 minutes just watching them sleep. Eddie had been able to persuade the child to rest in the crib the hospital provided for a couple of hours, but after eating a meager lunch, she was right back clinging to her. They were napping in a chair by the window. Elizabeth was laying on Eddie's chest with her head on her shoulder. They both looked at peace. Jamie thought his wife had never looked more beautiful. His private thoughts coincided with the arrival of a CPS agent to take custody of Elizabeth. CPS was notified that the child was eligible for release and was anxiously searching for a suitable placement.

There was no mistaking the panic on the face of Eddie when the CPS agent told her that she needed to take Elizabeth with her. She told Jamie and Eddie that she would be bringing Elizabeth to a group home until a more permanent arrangement could be made. With her eyes darting back and forth between Jamie and the agent, Eddie was holding the little girl tightly. Jamie was the next one to speak up, before things escalated between Eddie and the woman.

_"Ma'am, do you think I could have a few moments with my wife before you do anything else. _He handed her a dollar._ "Maybe just head down to the vending machines and grab a cup of coffee?"_

Anxious to avoid upsetting the child or the woman who had taken care of her for almost 24 hours non-stop, the woman agreed. _"I'm here a lot. I can grab a cup from the nurses station."_

As soon as the agent left the room, the little girl began to sit up. Awoken from her afternoon nap by the commotion, Elizabeth held a stuffed doll the nurse had given her and immediately grabbed for a board book she noticed on the bedside table with her other hand. As she was turning the pages in the small cardboard book, Jamie was struck by her resemblance to his wife. Soft, loose golden curls framed her head. She had a beautiful smile and was eager to share what she was looking at with Eddie.

_"Jamie…"_ Eddie said with an expression she had never used before, making eye contact with Elizabeth rather than him. _"Remember how you told me you were willing to foster Annie last year? I wasn't ready then. And I know this is going to sound completely crazy but…"_

Before she could continue he cut her off, _"Yes!"_

Eddie looked up at him with wide, glassy eyes and he continued. _"Let's talk to the agent when she comes back. We might not be able to take her home tonight but let's put our hat in the ring. We're married, we have good jobs, we're the ideal candidates."_

Unbeknownst to Eddie, Before he arrived, Jamie had already been filled in on all of the child's details by the detectives at their precinct who were working the case. He knew that the baby was under two years-old and an orphan. She was not the first baby Eddie had helped on duty, but Elizabeth had clearly touched her in a way no one had before this.

The CPS agent had been secretly hoping that the married police officers she had just met would offer to step up to the plate for this little girl. They were obviously smitten with the baby. It was going to be difficult to separate the woman and the baby if they didn't. That was by far one of the hardest parts of her job - separations. No matter which way you looked at it they sucked. When Jamie asked her what the possibility was for him and his wife to foster the child, the agent had to pretend to be impartial. In reality, she was giddy with relief as she educated the young couple about what would need to be done.

After some discussion of the process and the steps that Jamie and Eddie would have to complete for both an emergency placement and then a permanent placement, plans were in place to help Elizabeth find a home with them. It was decided that Eddie would stay at the hospital with the baby for another night. A quick call to Linda, who spoke with the nurses on the pediatric floor, resulted in the doctor's suggestion that the baby spend 24 more hours getting additional nutritional support. The nurses had been adamant that she really wasn't eating well yet and still favoring her left shoulder. An orthopedist decided to take another look at the baby as well. This bought Jamie and the agent from CPS enough time to get the ball rolling on the paperwork needed and to begin certifying him and Eddie as foster parents for Elizabeth.

Because they are police officers, their background checks and fingerprints were already on file and accessible. A call to Lt. Renzulli resulted in character reference letters from both him and Kara Walsh. Even Jack Boyle was able to provide family law representation for the Reagans at the hearing the following morning. Heading to the courthouse for the emergency placement hearing was the only time Eddie had been away from Elizabeth since meeting her. Less than 48 hours after responding to the scene of an accident, she was signing the paperwork to become the foster mother for the young victim she had pulled from the wreckage.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

Sydney could not believe it when the court clerk she had "befriended" gave her a heads up that Jamie's name had showed up on the family court docket at the last minute. For the cost of a bi-weekly lunch to make the other woman feel like they were becoming good friends, Sydney not only had unfettered access to information about the comings and goings at the courthouse but also a heads up when certain names appeared on it. As soon as Sydney learned that the following morning, Jamie and his wife would be appearing at the courthouse, she began to seethe.

The next day, as Sydney sat at her desk and drank her coffee, she decided she needed to see this for herself. She glanced at the clock and saw that there was still time. Leaving her office, telling the secretary that she would be at the courthouse, Sydney rushed out. Her office colleagues were stunned by her sudden departure. There was no case scheduled for her in court that day.

People in her new office were starting to notice exactly what her co-workers in London had seen. Sydney Davenport was a brilliant lawyer whose analysis of cases and strategy were unmatched. But her behavior was erratic and had a tendency to be laser focused on perceived problems and injustices. Unfortunately for Sydney, her new coworkers were a highly competitive group. One particular colleague, who found the somewhat pretentious young lawyer irritating, began to do some research of his own. Pulling up the corporate rental car account under the guise of checking whether he had submitted all of his receipts, he noticed some rather unusual activity.

Sydney Davenport knew that as much as she wanted to see Jamie and figure out what he was doing at the courthouse, she needed to stay under the radar. The only way to get him to come crawling back was to make sure he thought it was his idea. Sydney knew the layout of each courtroom and had scouted out the best vantage points for observing her competition in court. One of the ways Sydney had become such a skilled litigator was by viewing the law as a sport. Like swimming, gymnastics or wrestling, it was the kind of sport where you went head to head with another person and only one person came out on top. No one else to blame but yourself when things went south. So after making sure that the proceedings had started and the focus of everyone in the courtroom was on the front of the room, Sydney slipped into the last row. She made sure that she was near the door in case she needed to make a quick exit.

Just minutes after sitting down, Sydney felt the need to take advantage of her exit strategy. She heard Jamie speak to the judge, in a cool confident voice that was so familiar to her, asking for _"custody of the minor child…"_ She burst from her seat in surprise fleeing from the courtroom. As the swinging door slammed behind her, Jamie and Eddie turned around briefly. Jamie had a strange sensation that he saw a familiar head of brown hair just before the door swung back in towards the room. Returning to the matter that brought them to the courts in the first place, Jamie and Eddie answered questions from the family court judge. They agreed to the requests made by Child Protective Services to inspect their home and complete an interview with the agency before taking custody of Elizabeth. Finally, the remaining hurdles like classes and ongoing requirements were scheduled.

As much as Eddie would like to be the one that Elizabeth could turn to all the time, she knew they needed to be a family of 3. Plus, there were a number of things she and Jamie would need to have on hand to care for a toddler in their home, and they had nothing. As soon as they emerged from the courthouse, they were greeted by both Erin and Linda.

"_Alright you two. Who's going shopping with Linda and who's coming back to the hospital to introduce me to this beautiful little girl I've heard so much about?" _Erin asked excitedly.

Jamie spoke up immediately,_ "Linda, Eddie was just heading out to attack these lists with what we will need, that we got from CPS." _Jamie said holding up the papers with baby care supplies and toys and activities that were recommended. _"I know she'd love your help with that. I'll take Erin back with me to see Elizabeth." _

Eddie was relieved that Jamie was in full sergeant-mode, taking charge of the mission to get Elizabeth home with them. Normally, Eddie liked to decide things together. But in this case, she was overwhelmed and worried that she would mess something up...forget something. There was so much to be done and so little time to do it all. Delegation was called for, but Eddie didn't feel clear headed enough to come up with a feasible plan. She couldn't get her mind off the small girl, alone at the hospital, who might feel abandoned for the second day in a row. Already committed to being the child's safe place, she was reluctant to head out for a shopping trip, even an important one, without being sure all of the child's emotional needs would be understood.

_"She's got to get used to people before she warms up, you two. Don't worry if she acts upset. Call me if she needs anything, OK?"_ Eddie had to be gently led away from an amused Jamie and Erin, to Linda's van in the parking lot.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

Unbeknownst to them, the parking lot was exactly where Sydney had retreated to, when she fled from the courthouse. Seeing a giddy Eddie, practically skipping towards the van linking arms with Linda Reagan, made Sydney positively furious. That woman was living the life she deserved. There was no reason she shouldn't be the one adopting a baby with Jamie. Surprised she didn't think of it herself, adoption was the perfect solution. Instant family and no pregnancy and recovery to get in the way of her career. There was no sentimentality about adoption for Sydney. Unlike Jamie and Eddie, who viewed adoption as a different way to share their love with a child in need, she saw it as a stress free way to have a family without sacrificing her own priorities. Just the thought of Jamie having a family with someone else made Sydney angrier than she could ever remember. She needed to push this woman to the side and slide into the place where she belongs.

Sydney picked up the baseball cap off of the seat of her car and put it on her head. Pulling out into traffic behind Linda Reagan's van, she decided to see where they were headed. As she drove through traffic, Sydney began to imagine she was telling Eddie Reagan exactly what she thought of her. As she got more upset, her driving became more and more aggressive. Linda and Eddie were not noticing the car behind them weaving and encroaching on their space, they were so involved with their conversation. Linda was helping a very overwhelmed Eddie come up with a plan to gather what they needed to undergo a home inspection and bring the baby home tomorrow.

Eddie had her phone in her hand, calling her father-in-law. Henry and Frank had offered to purchase a car seat and crib for their new grandchild. All she still needed to do was give Frank the model number and information about the crib she chose from Pottery Barn. He was going to take advantage of the large vehicle driven by his detail to pick it up after work. The car seat had already been purchased by Henry online and delivered to the hospital for Jamie to install the following morning.

Danny was heading over to Jamie and Eddie's precinct to pick up the stroller that the 2-9 had immediately chipped in for when they heard about the foster placement. Rachel Whitten had quickly mobilized their squad to gather donations and rushed out on her meal time to grab the perfect "squad car" for baby Reagan. After Danny collected the stroller, he was meeting his father with the crib, at their apartment. The two men were going to to put the two items together with Henry's supervision and if they were careful, they would all live through the experience. Henry, feeling less involved because his contribution was acquired online and delivered directly to the hospital, had enlisted a friend from church to escort him to a local children's store. He took his friend for lunch and then got her help choosing some toys, books and other gifts. Henry would arrive at the apartment shortly, bags in hand, to see how he could assist. All of the adult Reagan family members were involved with the preparations for another member to join their fold.

As Linda and Eddie drove along, trying to figure out how to begin the mother of all shopping sprees, they were suddenly aware of a dark colored car passing them quickly on their left. Eddie was shocked when the car suddenly appeared in her peripheral field of view and pulled out in front of Linda's van, cutting them off. Linda struggled to maintain control of her vehicle and ended up careening onto the grass median. She was able to prevent them from heading into oncoming traffic by sheer will alone. Finally skidding to a stop, both women sat there in shock. Frank Reagan, who had been on the phone with Eddie the entire time, was beside himself with fear as the accident unfolded. Because he was speaking to Eddie during the traffic incident, it had kept her focus off the car in front of them. Neither Eddie nor Linda were able to provide responding officers more than the color of the sedan as a description of the car that had caused their accident. They took their statement and after a thorough examination, found no damage to Linda's van. It took Linda another 15 minutes to compose herself and pull back into traffic. The rest of their trip was uneventful and the decision was made to keep both Danny and Jamie out of the loop until the ladies got home.

By the time that Linda and Eddie arrived at the apartment, pizza and beers for everyone in hand, the incident was described as just a weird thing that happened on the way to the Queens Center Mall. Frank and Danny went down to the car to gather the clothing, toys and baby supplies from the van. Frank was happy to see both of his daughter-in-laws in one piece and looking happy and excited. Eddie had followed the lists from CPS to the letter. One had outlined the basic clothing and care needs for a child 18 months to 3 years. Eddie and Linda had both thoroughly enjoyed picking out the outfits, pajamas and shoes for the little girl. The second list contained toys and games that were recommended to support the educational development of a 2 year old. Once again, Eddie felt compelled to get a little of everything in case the inspectors who visited them wanted to see the child engaged in a particular type of activity. As Eddie unpacked all of the puzzles, play-doh, plastic tea sets and dolls from the bags, she was glad that Jamie was out of the apartment for a while. His incredibly neat OCD tendencies would be triggered massively by the explosion of pink plastic and stuffed playthings spread out across the table.

It took several hours but between the five of them, all the toys were opened and stored away in the hall closet and the clothes were washed and put into the dresser drawers Eddie had emptied. The crib was set up for a toddler with a fresh sheet and blanket. A dozen storybooks were neatly arranged in a basket next to the rocker that Eddie had conveniently brought to her new home from her apartment when she moved in. Frank and Danny had not only set up all the crib but they had also put together the stroller and placed it in the storage cage alongside their bicycles. The bed frame and mattress that used to occupy the 2nd bedroom was moved to the garage also. The frame and headboard were placed in the cage with the mattress balanced on top until they could be moved to their storage facility. By the time Eddie gratefully said goodbye to an exhausted Henry, Frank, Danny and Linda, the apartment looked as if a toddler was already living there. The only remaining changes to be made, which Danny promised to return the next day to take care of, were a baby gate that he and Linda had in the garage for the kitchen entrance and a child safety bar for the top of the front door. Eddie was fast asleep fully dressed on their bed when Jamie returned home after midnight.

Despite Eddie's fear that Elizabeth might be slow to warm up to Jamie again and overwhelmed by meeting another stranger, she was engaged with both him and Erin all evening. Jamie, with Erin's guidance, had been able to convince the toddler to eat a bowl of carrots, some applesauce and a few bites of baked chicken. He felt like he earned an Olympic medal. Both of them suspected that the baby's diet was not particularly varied or healthy when she was in her mother's care. While doctors hadn't used the word "abuse" they had described the little girl as malnourished and liberally used the words "potential neglect" when determining the cause of her low weight and the vitamin deficiencies discovered through blood work. Jamie had joked with the physician who came in to see her just before dinner was served, that his wife loved food almost as much as him. He was confident that Elizabeth would be eating all kinds of things in no time. Erin exchanged a conspiratorial wink with the doctor, knowing full well how stubborn toddlers could be, especially when it came to food.

After finding his wife asleep on top of the covers on the bed, Jamie walked to the couch, where Eddie had placed the large Tiffany blue plush throw that she bought to add some color to their living room. He brought it back to their bedroom, and spread it over Eddie leaving plenty of room for him to join her under the cover. Climbing onto the bed, he followed his wife's example sleeping on top of the comforter, and slipped under the soft blanket he had just spread across her sleeping form. Both of them were physically exhausted but fell asleep incredibly excited about what would take place the following day.

Sydney had been shocked when she saw Linda's van careen off the road and onto the center median. She was even more shocked at the adrenaline rush she felt afterwards. Exiting the highway as soon as possible, she wanted to avoid any law enforcement looking for a dark grey Chevy Malibu that had been driving erratically. As Sydney sat in the bathtub later that evening, she found her emotions swinging back and forth from giddy excitement at the thought of the accident she caused, to anger and resentment towards the woman who had stepped into her life and the man who held the door for her. A few glasses of wine and a long soak provided Sydney with the time she needed to regroup and decide how she would proceed.


	14. Chapter 14

The next morning, Eddie was awake uncharacteristically early. She was a flurry of activity re-vacuuming floors that were clean and wiping down surfaces that were already spotless. She went through their refrigerator, making sure that there were only two or three beers chilling and no takeout containers filling up the shelves. She made sure that the fresh fruit they had bought at the farmer's market on Saturday was easily visible on the counter for all to see. One last sweep of the books and videos on the shelves of their entertainment center for anything the CPS agent might take issue with and Eddie felt prepared. She stored the UFC fight techniques DVD and a few books that might raise eyebrows under their bed. Finally, adding fresh water to the flowers on the dining room table, Eddie felt herself relax. Checking the room that had been hastily prepared for Elizabeth's arrival, she had to admit it looked wonderful. The crib was set up against the wall where their guest bed had stood. Eddie's rocking chair was better showcased by the new set up in the room, and it looked like she remembered when her grandmother displayed it proudly in her home. It was almost impossible to believe that just 24 hours ago, this had been a room comfortably outfitted for adult guests.

Now it was barely 6:30am. She could hear her husband calling for her in the next room. Coming to their bedroom in search of his warm embrace and calming influence, she was struck with the feelings of a deep and abiding love the moment she laid eyes on him. Sitting back against the multitude of pillows they had been too tired to remove before heading to bed, he looked incredibly happy.

"Can you believe it? We're going to be foster parents in a few hours. You can't imagine how happy this is making me." He gestured for her to come back to the bed and join him.

"I think I can imagine, Reagan. I'm pretty excited myself. Do you think I'll be any good at it? I mean, what if I mess up? What if she gets hurt or sick?" Eddie snuggled up against him seeking his warm embrace, but also to avoid looking him in the eyes.

"That's the thing. You WILL make mistakes, we both will. Elizabeth is going to get sick, fall down and even get hurt and it won't be your fault. We will be there to pick her up, tend to her needs and then dust her off and send her right back out into the world. That's all part of being parents. Nobody expects either of us to be perfect. All that matters is that we raise her in a loving and supportive home."

"So we got this?"

"Yes, baby, we got this. Now let's put on some coffee and have some breakfast. Our inspection is scheduled for 9am and it's going to be a long day. Did I tell you the night nurse helped me install the car seat before I came home yesterday? She is a certified inspector and figured there would be enough going on today for us to worry about that too."

Eddie was happy to know another item could be checked off the list of things they needed to do. Hospital policy requires that no newborn or CPS placement could leave the hospital without having their installation inspected by a certified member of the hospital staff.

Sitting at the table, she took a look around the apartment at all the work they had done to ready their home for Elizabeth's arrival. Jamie was finding new changes every time he looked around, equally impressed. The chair next to where Eddie generally sat at their table had been replaced by a tall booster seat. There were two baskets, one on each side of their entertainment center, holding a selection of plastic animals, stuffed toys and dolls. Jamie chuckled to himself when he noticed there was a police car in the one basket just the right size for a toddler and a stuffed police doll in the other. To help diffuse some of the nervous energy she needed to expend, Eddie took Jamie on a tour of their apartment which had once more undergone changes to accommodate their growing family. The second bedroom, now a nursery looked transformed.

Eddie told him that a dresser and nightstands that matched the crib would be ordered within the next few days. Frank had already privately pulled her aside and informed her he would be ordering the rest of the bedroom set with her blessing. He would be happy to store it for her and bring it over once they had the time to deal with the onslaught of more furniture. She excitedly chattered on about how she wanted to pick up a small wooden bookcase at the Brooklyn Flea Market in a few weeks so they could store her books. Jamie could already imagine getting a baby seat for his bicycle and going out on a family adventure in search of flea market treasures.

Before long, there was an insistent knock at the door. Realizing it was much too early for their inspection, Jamie went to see who it was, while Eddie went into the bathroom to shower and change. Jamie found his brother Danny and his two nephews waiting on the other side. They came into the apartment bearing bagel sandwiches and a selection of baby proofing items that they had purchased at the home improvement store as soon as it opened.

"You guys go ahead and get ready, while the boys and I finish making this place safer for my new niece."

The baby gate, once stored in Danny's garage after it was no longer needed for Sean, was placed in the kitchen doorway opening. Sean set about filling every unused plug in the house with a plastic insert. Danny and Jack got to work installing a child safety bar at the top of the front door which would prevent Elizabeth from opening it without her parents knowledge and escaping down the hallway. 45 minutes later there was nothing more that could be done to get them ready for the inspection. Danny and the boys departed and both Eddie and Jamie were dressed and ready. They sat at the kitchen table waiting for someone to arrive.

Right at 9:00am there was another knock at the door. Mr. Jerome Foster introduced himself to the Reagans. He was polite and warm but impossible to read. As he examined the nursery where Elizabeth would sleep and made notes, Mr. Foster neither smiled nor frowned. He took great care to note the baby health items in the bathroom, including a small robe next to the adult ones on the back of the door. He saw carefully placed nicknacks in the living room that were well out of reach for a curious toddler. Safety measures were clearly evident throughout the home. It was with no reservations at all that Foster completed the home inspection and passing them with flying colors. He was glad that this child had been added to his already substantial caseload, since it was always good to have a few homes that restored his faith in the people who choose to support the foster system. Beginning a day that would certainly result in upheaval for at least one child (because every day was like that), with an inspection like this one was a welcomed treat. By 10:00, with an arrangement for a formal order of custody to be delivered to the hospital by mid-afternoon, Jamie and Eddie were anxious to return to Elizabeth. Minutes after Mr. Foster left, they headed out themselves to see her.

As soon as they pulled onto the hospital grounds, Eddie was positively itching to jump out of the car and head inside. She had hoped that either she or Jamie would be able to come to the hospital early while the other handled the inspection. She had been frustrated to learn that for the announced inspections, both of them were required to be present. Jamie pulled up right in front and suggested that Eddie head upstairs while he parked the car. Grabbing the bag she had prepared with an outfit for the toddler, a light jacket and some shoes, Eddie kissed him quickly and practically ran inside. Not only was the clothing she had been rescued in filthy, but her feet had been bare.

When Eddie reached the room, there were two detectives already stationed outside. Smiling broadly when a familiar baritone voice greeted her ears, Eddie was not at all surprised at what she saw inside. Elizabeth was sitting on the lap of Frank Reagan. They were enjoying some pancakes and watching Sesame Street characters sing a tune that bore a vague resemblance to a popular song from the radio. Frank was talking to her about the names of Elmo, Grover and the other Muppets. The serious way he talked about the program had her mesmerized. When Elizabeth noticed that someone was entering the room she looked up. Her whole face lit up when she saw Eddie in the doorway. Immediately wiggling up and down, she implored Eddie to pick her up. Speaking something that sounded like, "peas, peas" she made it clear that she wanted to be held. Frank took that as a sign that he should attend to police matters and head to work. He kissed both his new granddaughter and daughter-in-law goodbye. Jamie was just walking into the room when Frank headed out, so he shook his son's hand, leaning in to whisper, "Take good care of your girls."

In typical hospital fashion, it was several hours later when the doctor finally cleared her and the appropriate paperwork was received by the hospital, permitting Jamie and Eddie to take Elizabeth home. A CPS agent delivered a temporary order of custody to the Reagans and she was now theirs. Eddie had chosen to dress her for the occasion in an adorable cream and gold outfit and pair of sparkly sneakers, worthy of the dozens of pictures that would be taken today commemorating her first day in their family. Eddie had bought a soft cotton headband that twisted into a floral design at the top and added it when she fixed Elizabeth's hair. It was nearly 3:00 when the now family of three left the hospital together.

Watching from her vantage point in the hospital parking lot was a red wig clad Sydney. She sipped her coffee drink, enjoying the sharp flavor and warmth of the liquid. The heated car seats helped her combat the irrational chill she felt when she saw a joyous Jamie retrieve his car and pull around to the hospital entrance to pick up his wife and daughter. A cold wind was blowing making the day cool, despite the beautiful sun shining in the sky. Sydney thought that was only appropriate. Soon an even colder wind would blow through the sunny life of Jamie Reagan.


	15. Chapter 15

The child gripped a soft medium-blue plush elephant tightly. She had a blanket made of velvety minky fabric locked under her arm. She was reluctant to release these gifts the nurses had given her during her stay in the hospital. After buckling Elizabeth into her new car seat with her treasures in hand and storing the bag with her other things in the trunk, Jamie couldn't help but plant a firm kiss on his wife's lips before he returned to the car and she climbed into the passenger seat beside him. Jamie had requested a few days of family time from his siblings to allow Elizabeth to become acclimated. Frank and Henry would be stopping by for dinner the following evening, but the rest of the family would need to wait for Sunday to see Elizabeth again. Her new cousins were beside themselves with excitement, but as challenging as the past few days had been for the little girl, they wanted to allow her time to adjust. Elizabeth was asleep almost as soon as they pulled out of the parking lot.

Sydney had seen enough. Hot tears of frustration fell down her cheeks. Her continued surveillance of Jamie and his family had become an obsession. She could feel herself slipping back into some unhealthy habits that had been a guiding force in bringing her back to the United States from England. Sydney took another long sip of her coffee drink to help her focus. She headed home to get some work done. If she was going to be ready when Jamie came calling again, she would need to practice some self care. Some considerable time would need to be devoted to her cases before her personal investigations had a negative impact on her job performance.

The new apartment was strange and unfamiliar to the little girl. She was hesitant to venture from either Eddie or Jamie's side. Eventually after putting on a movie they thought might appeal to her, she relaxed enough to let them get up off the couch. Once her new parents were not sitting next to her, she took a large blanket from the couch and placed it on the floor. Gathering it up into a nest like pile on the floor, she perched on top. Jamie decided to approach the child on her level. Grabbing a pillow off the couch he placed it on the floor next to her blanket nest. He laid on the floor next to her to watch The Little Mermaid. Eddie had gone into the bedroom to change into something comfortable. When she returned to the living room, she saw Jamie asleep on the floor next to Elizabeth. His hand was reaching out towards her and her small hand was wrapped around his pointer finger. Grabbing her phone she shot a few pictures, texting one to both Frank and Henry.

Sometime after 4pm the baby stirred. Waking up in unfamiliar surroundings, she looked around nervously. Still clutching the blue elephant in her hands, she started to explore. Eddie was watching her from the kitchen. As soon as the toddler began to walk around, she noticed Eddie smiling at her. Returning the smile, Elizabeth walked into the kitchen where Eddie was putting together some ingredients for a pasta dinner.

"Do you want a drink, Ellie girl? Eddie asked. She took one of the plastic spill free cups that they had bought the day before and filled it with some of the cucumber water that she and Jamie kept chilling in the fridge. The little girl accepted the cup eagerly and began to drink. Eddie peeled and sectioned a clementine placing it on a plastic plate. She sprinkled a few goldfish crackers on the plate as well. Here's a snack, peanut." Carrying the plate to the table, Elizabeth followed her with her eyes. Eddie pulled the booster chair they had bought away from the table.

When the child walked over, Eddie lifted her up and sat her down on it, pushing her up to the table where the snack was within her reach. Elizabeth eagerly ate a few bites of the orange and a few crackers. When the little girl appeared bored with the food, rather than take it away, Eddie pushed it to the side slightly and produced a mess free coloring book and markers. Elizabeth seemed to have no idea what to do with them. Eddie demonstrated how the markers worked on the paper for the little girl then handed Elizabeth the marker. Ellie was mystified by the result. Happily scribbling on the paper, Ellie sat and colored for 20 minutes. As she drew, absentmindedly she popped the rest of the orange segments in her mouth. It was with a great sense of satisfaction that Eddie was able to write it down in the food journal they were maintaining for the little girl, at the advice of the pediatrician who had attended to her in the hospital. Elizabeth was quite small for her age, but otherwise developmentally on track. Eddie was determined to help her growth progress despite whatever habits had been developed before.

Jamie woke up and rose from his place on the floor, joining the girls at the table. "How about a walk, girls?"

Eddie went into the bedroom while Jamie put the extremely sparkly sneakers back on the little girl's feet. He got a kick out of the fact that Elizabeth was clearly enamored with her new shoes. If experience was any indicator, Jamie was quite sure that there were several other pairs waiting for her to try in the other room courtesy of Eddie. After Eddie changed, the three of them put the leash on the dog and walked into the garage to find the new stroller that their friends from the 2-9 had purchased for them. Eddie was shocked at how generous they had been. They strapped Elizabeth in and headed out to the park.


	16. Chapter 16

After 2 hours at the park and exploring their neighborhood through the eyes of a two year-old, it was getting dark and time to go home. Eddie had a strange feeling they were being watched. Chalking it up to the new state of hyper awareness she had since Elizabeth came into their lives, she brushed off the uncomfortable sensation and pushed the stroller towards home. Watching Jamie play with the baby and push her on the swings had been the highlight of her day. She had a bunch of pictures of Elizabeth with Jamie and she already decided to grab a frame this week for at least one of them.

Watching Jamie play with the baby and push her on the swings had the opposite effect on someone else. Following the family from their apartment to the park nearby had been simple. It was a beautiful afternoon, crisp and cool, and the park was filled with families enjoying some fresh air and time together. Watching Jamie from afar and imagining the three of them were there together had been a pleasant experience. Sydney easily blended in with the crowd until her sense of disgust at the appearance of Jamie's wife in her field of view made her conspicuous. Quickly she made her way back to her car to avoid being sick or having either Reagan recognize her.

Jamie was surprised how quickly Elizabeth's presence had changed everything. The overwhelming feeling that he needed to protect his girls was palpable. While he thoroughly enjoyed playing with her and watching his wife shining from within in her new role, he felt an intense feeling of overprotectiveness. He knew he would need to control that or he would never be completely in the moment with his family. Making a mental note to work on it with Father Markham when he visited the chaplain next, he grabbed his wife's hand and kissed the back of it as they headed home.

As soon as they got into the apartment, Eddie finished the pasta dish she had prepped earlier. 30 minutes later, their first meal together at their table was served. It was apparent that while Elizabeth was not overly picky, she ate very little. A few bites of everything and she was bored with the whole thing. Eddie was unphased by it and took it in stride. She used the same technique she had employed at snack time and did her best to distract the girl with lively conversation and engagement. A few more bites found their way into her mouth but that was it. After dinner, Eddie prepared a bath for Elizabeth while Jamie enlisted her "help" with cleanup and dishes.

Playing in the warm water at bath time was possibly the most fun Elizabeth had all day. The bath toys and bubbles were an entirely new experience for her. She was amazed with the three little boats that held princess figures. By the time she was done, and wrapped in a thick towel, she was getting sleepy. After Eddie dressed her in pajamas and a pull-up, she switched off with Jamie. He wrapped the little girl up in a quilt and sat with her in the rocking chair. He grabbed a thick anthology of bedtime stories that Eddie had bought out of the basket. Two stories later, and the baby had let the rhyming cadence of the words and Jamie's voice make her drowsy and ready for bed. He placed her into the crib and switched on the sound machine. The only piece of advice everyone had given them was about bedtime. They resolved to be consistent and develop routine even if it was rocky at first.

Their first night with Elizabeth hadn't been terrible, but it wasn't easy either. The little girl woke up several times and needed reassurance before she would fall back to sleep. Each time, Jamie laid her back down, rubbed her back for a minute or two then left the room. He resisted the urge to pick her up or bring her in with him.

As she drove to work for her midnight shift, It made Eddie realize she was glad to be taking three weeks of family leave starting the next rotation. She would work tomorrow and the next day while Linda cared for the baby, then spend a few weeks getting to know the child and making sure she was settled after that. The sudden nature of their addition to the family required her squad sergeant to do significant readjustment to the schedule. They were happy to rely on family for a couple of days in order to buy some time for him to set it up.

Linda arrived at their apartment in time for Jamie to leave for his day shift. The baby was still sleeping and Eddie was due home any minute but would need to sleep for a few hours. She was looking forward to a little girl time. By the time the baby was awake and eating breakfast, Eddie got home. She greeted her sister-in-law and Elizabeth briefly before climbing into bed. When she woke up 5 hours later, Linda was making cookies with her little helper. Eddie had to laugh because if her appearance was any clue, the majority of that help appeared to involve taste testing.

"Tollhouse cookies! I'm going to bring some home for my crew and drop a few off to Frank and Henry. There will still be plenty for you guys! Elizabeth was a big help. She was in charge of dumping things in and quality control. I took lots of pictures - I'll text them to you."

"I help," was the enthusiastic reply from the little girl.

"She had some peanut butter toast, about half a piece, for lunch and some raisins. Drank some milk too. I see what you meant about her having a small appetite."

"Do you think it will get better?"

"Yes, of course, it just might take some time. Plus as long as she's got healthy things going in, you can always increase the calories of her meals if the volume isn't increasing." Linda assured her.

Linda put the last cookie sheet in the sink and wiped off the counter. "And she ate a cookie too, she laughed. So there's some calories there." With the kitchen clean, she grabbed her things and two paper plates with cookies. "I'm going to go home. You ladies have a great afternoon."

Since Eddie noticed the little girl enjoyed baking with her aunt, she decided to try a little recipe of her own. Gathering Elizabeth up and leaving a note for Jamie, they headed out for their first girls' adventure. Switching the stroller handle to face her, Eddie chatted with the toddler about their plans.

"So Miss Ellie, how about we make some pizza tonight."

Eddie and "Ellie", as Eddie and Jamie decided to call her, went to the Italian market around the corner, and bought some ingredients including a couple balls of pizza dough ready to rise. One last stop at the kitchen store for a child sized rolling pin and a cheese shaker and they headed home. On the way out of the store, Eddie heard a familiar name cross the lips of a woman on the phone. The woman with the long dark ponytail wished someone named "Jamie" goodbye with a promise to talk as soon as possible. For just a moment, Eddie thought "Maybe?" But immediately dismissed the notion. Brooklyn was filled with the Irish and for all she knew, the woman could be talking to a male or female. After the woman rushed off without facing her, Eddie was slightly unnerved.

When they arrived home, she parked the stroller back in the garage cage. Back in the apartment, Eddie left the dough on the counter to rise and took out the sauce, sliced pepperoni and fresh mozzarella from the bag, placing them in the refrigerator. She cut up some mushrooms and onions and put them in the fridge for later too. She decided to spend a little while playing with Ellie before Jamie got home from the gym. When he returned to an empty apartment, he had left a note of his own teasing that he was "so lonely he had to go work out."


	17. Chapter 17

Ellie had discovered the basket of toys and was particularly impressed by the My Little Pony figures that Eddie had bought purely because she herself had the same ones as a child. The six pastel colored horses were lined up on the floor being served their water from a tin teacup. A very intent little girl was lost in her imagination. Eddie joined her on the floor and pulled some of Jamie's law books off a nearby shelf, using them to build a little barn. When Jamie came home, he was barely acknowledged as the girls were lost in their work.

"So which of the ponies lives in Fort Constitutional Law?" He joked.

"Duh, the cute pink one of course." quipped Eddie.

"What should we do for dinner, ladies?" Jamie asked.

"We're going to make something for you. Jump in the shower and we might let you help. You smell like you live in a barn with the real ponies."

"Pony?" Ellie asked handing him the blue-grey one.

"Thanks princess, but you hold onto it for me. I'm going to get cleaned up. I'll be right out, lambchop." Jamie told Eddie kissing the top of her head.

"Here, Lammie" Ellie offered the toy to Eddie instead.

Jamie laughed at the new nickname for his wife on the way to the bathroom. He decided he was glad that Erin had offered to babysit her niece later that week so that he and Eddie could have a date night. He really wished his wife could join him in the shower. That was something he hadn't done with anyone else before her and he found it to be an incredible experience. He missed the impromptu post workout showers. He made a mental note to set an alarm for 30 minutes before hers so he could convince her to get warm and soapy together.

When he came back out, Eddie had pulled out the pizza stone they received as a wedding present and put it into the hot oven. The wooden peel it came with was dusted and waiting. Having more fun in the kitchen than he could ever remember (except for a few breakfasts cooked with a half naked Eddie) the three of them made pizzas. They shaped the dough, with the help of Ellie and her little rolling pin and then covered them with sauce, fresh cheese and enough toppings to make everyone happy. A few sprinkles of Parmesan from Ellie and her cheese shaker and the pie was slipped into the oven. A second pie was assembled and waiting for the first to bake. They had learned one thing about their new daughter, she loved to cook.

They served the pizza hot from the oven for themselves, sneaking Ellie's piece into the freezer for a couple minutes to cool. It was absolutely delicious. To their surprise, the baby ate all of the toppings in addition to some of the cheese and bread. Of course she only had a few bites of everything but she nearly finished a slice, so they were happy. Jamie had grabbed some strawberry sorbet on his way back from the gym to serve with the cookies Linda and Ellie had made. He distracted the baby from Eddie's departure into the other room with some good old fashioned strawberry bribery.

As much as they hated the schedule that kept them apart, he was relishing the time he spent one on one with his daughter. While Eddie took an after-dinner nap, before heading into work, Jamie and Ellie had dessert and then he got her ready for bed. Splashing in the water, which was scented with lavender bubble bath that Eddie had bought for her, was fast becoming one of Ellie's favorite pastimes. Another purchase Linda and Eddie had made, under the line item "bath toys" on CPS' list of recommended toddler toys, was a Little Mermaid bath castle. As soon as Jamie took it from the closet and used the suction cup to hang it up, Ellie was curious. She grabbed the little figures that came with it and watched as Jamie showed her how to pour water onto the slide and send the figures sliding into the tub. The cause and effect was fascinating to the little girl and she squealed with joy and surprise every time. Knowing Eddie would hate to miss something so cute, he made a quick video of her, up to her shoulders in bubbles and gleefully launching Ariel, her mermaid sisters and Flounder the fish into the bath water. Once the baby was warm and drowsy from the bath, Jamie dressed her in pajamas and a pull-up for bed. He then bundled the little girl into a her quilt and snuggled into the rocking chair with her to read. Two stories later and both Ellie and Jamie were fast asleep. He hadn't realized how the change in their lives, however wonderful, was exhausting to him. It was Eddie who gently took Ellie from her husband and put her into her crib a couple hours later.

When she heard her husband and new little daughter splashing around during her bath, using what Eddie was sure was an unsanctioned amount of bubbles, she smiled to herself. This was going to work out. She wasn't going to let anything in her own head sabotage that. As she drifted off to sleep, she dreamed about the stranger in the store talking to her own "Jamie" but in her version it was Jamie Reagan. Waking at 9:00, a few minutes later than she wanted, she shook off the uneasy feeling that remained. Looking for Jamie, she had found him sound asleep in the rocking chair with Ellie curled up against him.

Once the baby was in the crib, grabbing Jamie's hand and giving him a silent signal once he roused, she led him from the room.

"So, I was thinking about something.." Eddie began once they were seated together out in the living room.

"Oh really," Jamie mischievously grinned at her.

"Not that," she laughed, "Although that's not a bad idea. I was actually thinking about trying to carve out some time for just us everyday."

"What did you have in mind?" Jamie asked.

"Well, I was thinking about Ellie's daycare schedule on the days we're working, and I think I want to get all my sleep while you're working. I know it means a couple more hours of childcare for her on those days, but I want to enjoy the evenings with you both. I know we wanted to be sure she spent as little time as possible at a babysitter, but we need to be a family, not 2 people practically sharing custody."

"I think you make a great point, Eddie. If you sleep when you get home and get a full 6 or 7 hours, we can spend time with Ellie together in the evening. Plus, you and I can spend some time together after she goes to bed." Jamie gave her the wicked grin she didn't know he had until they began dating.

"So you're not mad at me?"

"Eddie, this parenting thing is a journey, a compromise and a discovery process. We will make plans, and then re-adjust them when we need to. I think you made a great point. It's not really that much more time or money to do it your way. Plus, your plan is better for ALL THREE of us. Ellie needs to be with both of us together - especially on days when we're working. And as much as I love our growing family, I NEED to spend time with just you too."

Kissing Jamie goodbye, she headed out to work her midnight shift with Rachel. When Eddie slipped out the door, a little before 10pm, she felt better about leaving than she had before.


	18. Chapter 18

When she returned home from work the next morning, Eddie said goodnight to Ellie and slipped away to the bedroom to catch a few hours of sleep. She had one more shift until the three of them were all off together, then Eddie had three rotations, or 20 days off, to acclimate to motherhood. The list of To Do items for her leave was long, including choosing a daycare that Jamie could easily drop Ellie off at on his way into work, acquiring some cold weather gear for the baby and a million other small things she had added over the past few days. Most importantly though, the list included introducing Lena to her new granddaughter. That was keeping Eddie up with anxiety. She and her mother had made such progress, but Lena could be difficult when she saw her daughter making choices she feared would prevent her from having what she called "options".

While Eddie had come to realize that Lena's uncompromising standards were born of fear, it didn't make it easier. Eddie knew that her mother never felt like she had opportunities in life, even before Armin Janko's arrest limited them even further. She wanted her smart independent daughter to succeed in every way. Eddie agreed, but her version of success was different from her mother's. Lena had been traveling for the real estate company she worked for when Ellie first came into their lives, missing the introductions that the Reagans got at the hospital. Tomorrow night she would be coming over for dinner with Frank and Henry to see the baby for herself. She had taken the news over the phone surprisingly well. Eddie was optimistic but nervous.

Eddie had used last night's shift to go over her plans for the dinner with Rachel. She would sleep for a few hours, then head out with Ellie to take care of some errands. Some take out from a restaurant around the corner needed to be preordered, her outfit not to mention Ellie's needed to be chosen, plus there was wine and dessert to buy. It was going to be a busy afternoon. As tempting as it sounded to join Linda and Ellie in whatever game was going on in the living room, she needed her sleep to accomplish everything on her list.

Sydney had worked at the office just long enough to file some paperwork and return the phone calls that had been waiting for her when she arrived. To the chagrin of her co-workers, she was masterful at concisely describing the important billable hours she had spent away from the office to her supervising partner. The senior partner who was in charge of her reviews despised the kissing up that most of the junior partners engaged in. After a brief and thorough progress meeting with Sydney, he was satisfied enough to once again focus on other matters. Secretly, he relished the fact that she seemed self-sufficient and confident. As long as she won cases and billed enough hours to their clients, he really didn't care what kept her out of his line of sight. Sydney took only another hour or so, looking at the pictures on her phone of Jamie and the child that should have been hers, before she decided she would see what he was up to. She knew Jamie was heading home soon and she wanted to be there when he arrived.

It was her luck that as she pulled in, she was just in time to find a great spot in her favorite parking lot, grab a coffee and settle in to wait. Suddenly Eddie appeared from the building. She was maneuvering out the door with one of those strollers that Sydney knew she would have to have when she decided to have a child. It was exactly the kind all of the women at her upscale gym pushed around when they dropped their kids off in the childcare room. It was also the kind that all their nannies used to shuttle the kids around while the parents were working. It was like a luxury car for babies. Sydney seethed with annoyance. Grabbing oversized shades and scarf from her bag and a manilla envelope to "deliver" if she was caught, Sydney approached the building. When she saw another woman with two small kids in tow coming towards the door, Sydney approached and held it open for her. The woman faltered just a minute realizing that she should probably ask the stranger to buzz herself in, when she noticed the expensive shoes and coat, not to mention the package in her hand. Allowing her eager children to pull her towards the park, she simply thanked her for holding the door and kept going.

Once inside the building, Sydney tingled with excitement. She loved the feeling that she could be caught at any moment. Quickly noticing the garage door, she slipped from the lobby into the stairway to the parking area, using a pen to prop the door slightly ajar. Surveying the area, she returned to the lobby. Realizing Jamie was due home momentarily, she pulled out her phone. Facing away from the door, she put on the British accent she had perfected when she needed to appear like less of a "Yank" in London. As predicted, Jamie entered a few minutes later and politely ignored the English woman with her back to him as she talked animatedly to her "Mum". After Jamie let the elevator door close behind him, she put her phone away and left.


	19. Chapter 19

Sydney returned to her car and pulled off the wig and oversized shades she had used to conceal her face. She knew it was time to return to her apartment and prepare herself for work tomorrow, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to pull herself away. Knowing she needed dinner and lacking time or a desire to prepare it herself, Sydney decided to stop at a gourmet shop she saw that specializes in high quality takeout. With all of her preparations for the surveillance of Jamie and his family, she was not prepared to come face to face with Eddie Reagan pushing their foster daughter in a stroller on her way out of the shop. The two women locked eyes and neither was given enough time to feign ignorance. With Elizabeth present, Eddie immediately went into Mama Bear mode. Her eyes became steely as she acknowledged Sydney with a look of recognition. This time, it was Sydney who was off her game as they stood across the stroller from one another. Quickly attempting to cover her shock, she looked into the stroller and spoke to Eddie without making eye contact.

"I didn't realize you had a daughter. Jamie must be thrilled to have an instant family."

Knowing intuitively that insinuating the baby was Eddie's daughter from before she and Jamie married would insult her, Sydney waited for Eddie's reaction. For the first time in a long time, Sydney had misjudged her opponent.

Quite the opposite reaction greeted her. In a tone that was both icy and dismissive, Eddie responded. "Of course you wouldn't have heard…" Then with as much happiness as she could force herself to show under the circumstances, she continued, "Jamie and I just couldn't wait any longer to start a family together. We decided to bring a child into our family who needed us. Jamie and I are both ready for OUR family to grow. She's the light of our lives and we're both just ecstatic.."

As Sydney reached forward to get a better look at the beautiful child in the stroller, Eddie turned it away from her view. Placing herself between the child and Sydney, she simply said, "We have a busy evening ahead of us, please excuse us." She blocked Sydney from advancing towards the child.

Something about the defensive maneuvering of the young mother both caught the attention of the others in the shop and infuriated Sydney. She finally succumbed to the rush of emotion and lack of sleep that had been the result of her obsession with the young Reagan family. Throwing her travel mug to the ground, she lost it.

"How dare you!" she shrieked, pushing past Eddie and giving the stroller a shove which lurched it to the side, awaking Ellie. The startled baby began to cry loudly. Sydney looked around at the people staring at her, unaware that many of them were quite familiar with Eddie as a customer. Eddie was always friendly, smiling and happy. This new woman appeared to be the opposite. Sydney was also unaware that the young woman behind the counter had pressed a recently installed alarm button behind the counter, summoning a patrol officer from the community policing initiative.

Sydney had begun to shout and rebuke Eddie publicly, telling her that she'd be sorry for crossing her when she pushed a rack off a nearby counter and then seething, she stormed out. She abandoned her travel mug that was on the floor and still half-filled with the liberally vodka spiked coffee she had been drinking almost constantly. Before she took more than a few steps out the door, she came face to face with two patrol officers.

Eddie was shaken but refused to show any sign of that as Sydney was arrested. The staff from the shop detailed Sydney's menacing behavior towards their patrons, and were more than happy to press charges and provide the surveillance video to support their description. The officers retrieved the cup with the alcohol laden coffee and added public drunkenness to the list of charges she was suspected of.

Eddie was able to stay mostly out of the arrest, simply corroborating the account of the other witnesses. With pending reviews of their suitability as parents by Child and Family Services, she wanted to stay off the radar, but felt a responsibility to admit she and her family were likely being stalked. The police and eventually the district attorney were very sympathetic.

Learning that Eddie was a fellow officer, the officers called Jamie immediately. He was just getting out of the shower when he received the call, and he quickly got dressed. Rushing to the scene, he refused to even look at Sydney where she sat in the back of the patrol car. Instead he viewed the surveillance video with the Sergeant in charge. Both Jamie and Eddie gave their statements confirming Sydney's identity and the fact that she knew they were police officers. Jamie described the other interactions they had dealt with since her return. Once again, another charge loomed over Sydney.

As if dominos were falling, at the same time she was being transported back to the local police station, her disgruntled colleague was reporting the discovery he had made about Sydney's improper billing of hours and car services to the supervising partner in the firm. As quickly as he had dismissed the man's claims before as jealousy, when confronted with proof that could damage his reputation and that of the firm, he was quick to act. She was immediately suspended and her access to all accounts and services was frozen..

After calling the receptionist from her firm in an attempt to get assistance, she was informed that they were only able to provide temporary representation for the criminal charges until other arrangements could be found. Sydney hung up and placed the call she did not want to make. It was the same call she had made from London about a year before. Her father, feeling deep sadness, came to her aide but was unwilling to listen to her skewed version of events. He had known she was struggling with alcohol for some time, as he had in his own past. But he wanted to believe it was much less serious than it was.

When she had found herself in difficulty abroad, she had been able to convince him that she was just lonely, and ready to come home. He had identified with her drive and the lack of fulfillment that was its result. When he was a young man, he had stopped drinking for similar reasons, then a short time later, met Sydney's mother and started a family. He realized that his social networks formed over cocktails were evolving and luckily he was able to do the same. His more successful colleagues were abandoning the bars and beginning to move onto dinners with clients and their wives instead. The networking at his level was moving towards more stable and mature surroundings. He had hoped his daughter would have similar success. Since she had not, he knew it was time for some tough love.

In the coming days, the firm would make restitution to their clients, quietly citing a billing error and report her to the bar association for inadequate representation. This saved Sydney from the more serious charges which would have ensured her disbarment.


	20. Chapter 20

Jamie escorted his girls home and they quickly prepared for dinner with their parents and his grandfather. The strange unsettling events of the afternoon were almost forgotten by the couple as they watched while Ellie charmed all three of her grandparents. Her parents prepared and set out the appetizers and dinner. The food Eddie picked up from the gourmet shop was delicious and Eddie shone as she welcomed their family and introduced their new daughter.

Eddie had been nervous from the moment her mother arrived, but was gradually relaxing. Lena had come in with a small wrapped package for Ellie and greeted everyone warmly. She was becoming more calm and serene since her responsibilities at work were growing and she was more established as a resident of her building. Eddie was happy to hear she would be taking in a Wednesday night Broadway play with two of her neighbors the following week. As soon as she set eyes on the little girl, Lena was transfixed. She bore a striking resemblance to Eddie as a child.

To everyone's delight, Lena was surprisingly thrilled with meeting the little girl. After Eddie had introduced Jamie, Lena gradually begun to accept that she was forging her own path. As each fear Lena had for her daughter became unfounded, she became more open to the unexpected choices she made.

Ellie was an orphan and Lena identified with the child on many levels. Her life in Serbia had not been easy, but at least she had a mother that loved her in her own way. She had known other children who were far more unlucky than she was. Ellie reminded her of herself. Lena also understood loss just like Ellie, and she wanted to help the Reagans provide this child with love and support.

Despite her upbringing, Ellie was very sweet and loving once she was comfortable with people. She did not have any attachment issues and bonded with Jamie and Eddie a little more every day. The first year of her life must have been relatively supportive before her mother had relapsed and reconnected with her father. She took to all three of her grandparents within a short time as well.

Ellie sat on the floor, always staying within arm's reach of Eddie. She played with the toys her grandmother had brought, offering everyone, including her stuffed elephant and the family's dog, some tea and treats from the wooden tea service. George, their bulldog, was the only one who was not interested in her game. He was however endlessly patient and devoted to his new sister. George kept a watchful eye over the baby whenever they went anywhere. Jamie jokingly told Eddie he could swear the dog had listened to everything that they had discussed and was acting accordingly.

Before Lena said goodbye, the child was calling her "Nana" and Lena had plans to join the family in Bay Ridge for dinner on Sunday. Immediately after she departed, Jamie poured everyone another cup of coffee and they came clean to Henry and Frank about the details of the afternoon's events. Both men agreed that some of the strange things happening lately might also be attributed to Sydney. They gave simple but sage advice to him and Eddie for how to proceed and put it behind them. When Frank and Henry were ready to leave as well, they found Ellie asleep, curled up next to George on the floor, gripping her blanket.


	21. Chapter 21

Jamie was not surprised when it was requested that he head to his local police precinct to give a more detailed statement regarding Sydney Davenport. He was surprised when he entered the conference room and saw her father seated with the Assistant District Attorney.

Making eye contact only with the ADA, Jamie was irritated. "I hope you're not setting me up so I will agree to something. As I told you before, I have no built up animosity towards Sydney. I am however fearful that my family will continue to be followed and harrassed. I want to see a resolution to the situation that is fair and ensures my family is left alone. I will not be signing off on anything, so do what you think will ensure that and own the decision yourself."

William Davenport rose slightly from his chair. "Jamie, I asked to be here and meet with you to thank you for just that. Your choice to allow the system to deal with my daughter's infractions without pressure from the victims has been greatly appreciated by her family. We have many regrets about how we have supported Sydney over the years. The breakup between you two was inevitable and for the best. Instead of helping her see that, we allowed her to revise the events to fit her narrative. We should have known she was headed down a path with alcohol that needed to be addressed. Instead we allowed ourselves to believe a change of scenery or familiar faces could solve the problem. I raised my daughter to be assertive and independent but I neglected to show her that everyone needs help sometimes."

James Davenport was older and more vulnerable than Jamie remembered. He was the one Jamie had been forced to deal with during the resolution of his financial dealings and division of personal belongings with Sydney. She had escaped to London, leaving her father to clean up after her.

At the time, William was secretly thrilled to be rid of Jamie, but angry his daughter was living in London. His driven daughter with a Harvard Law degree deserved more than the life of a cop's wife. His own wife despised Jamie for his change of heart regarding the law, because she wanted more for Sydney as well. With an unhappy wife, he was also unhappy. In reality, Jamie had followed his passion for law enforcement and he could clearly see it outweighed his passion for his daughter.

William Davenport had been ruthless where their combined finances were concerned and wanted Jamie Reagan to pay for the fact his beloved daughter was so far away. They had worked together quickly, efficiently and without emotion to settle the affairs. Jamie was left with little of the income from the sale of their loft and a lot furniture that he needed to unload. Sydney had walked away with a modest profit and no entanglements to deal with. Now, William could see he had misjudged the young man.

Jamie was not only an accomplished Sergeant, but he also did consulting work with a local law firm - a fact he found out when Jamie's colleague from the Boyle Law Firm had come to represent him and his wife in court. Too bad Sydney had not known about that before she walked away. His attorney had assured the judge that he worked closely with Sergeant Reagan in his spare time at the firm and could quickly and expediently represent his family in this matter. They wanted absolutely no further contact with Ms. Davenport but had no opinion about any decision made by the prosecutor. They would neither support nor contest any deals or sentence recommendations.

Seeing the older man in obvious pain softened Jamie's position slightly and he turned to face William Davenport. "Will, I truly meant what I said. My wife and child are my only priority here. I have nothing but sympathy for your family. If it makes you feel any better, I never saw any indication that Sydney was struggling with alcohol during our time together either. I'm grateful that she returned my mother's ring, and I respect her for showing the strength to end things between us. We all know we were headed in different directions. I just want her to leave us alone."

"Jamie, she has been in a residential rehab since a couple of days after her arrest. I think for the first time in her life she really is headed down the right path. I am hopeful that she can at some point recover her career. But at the very least, she will be healthy and supported by her family."

"That's good to hear, Will. I hope that for her as well." Turning to face the ADA he asked, "Is there anything more you need from me?"

The ADA said he felt it was important to him that Jamie be given the details of the deal reached with Sydney, even if the Reagans had no comment. He felt it was his duty to afford them a final opportunity to have input. After outlining the plea deal which was contingent on her completion of a treatment program and no further contact with the Reagans or anyone related to them either personally or professionally, Sydney would be given lengthy probation and community service. It left the possibility that she could still practice civil litigation after her suspension from the bar association was lifted.

After listening and showing no disdain for the plea deal, Jamie rose from the table and put his hat back on, returning to work. He only sporadically saw Sydney Davenport in coming years when they passed one another at their reunion or at one or two large bar association functions. He and Eddie never spoke with her again.

For her part, she was able to recover her career after a few years. She practiced contract law for a small firm in New York and Connecticut. She married but had no children. When someone who knew her well did ask about Jamie, they were never aware of the events that propelled her into rehab and saved her life. She simply said, she was grateful for his time in her life but hadn't kept in touch.


End file.
